All The Right Moves
by Chaotic Reflections
Summary: That awkward moment when everyone but your crush knows you're in love with them. Shadow and Amy could relate to this too well. If only Sally and Sonic could get the memo...
1. Chapter 1

"All The Right Moves"

1

How he allowed Amy to convince him to have a sleepover with her, Shadow would never understand, and perhaps it was better to be blissfully ignorant. Amy was a bundle of determination and stubbornness, and he knew that when she made up her mind up about something, it'd be hard to convince her to change it.

"Why are you frowning so dang much? You act like I kidnapped you or something," Amy said, annoyance dripping from her voice and into the air. She was pouting, and she looked like a child instead of an eighteen year old, but Shadow wisely kept that thought to himself. Her quills, longer now, were in bright blue rollers, and her pajamas were a matching blue with pink hearts sprinkled here and there.

"I'm usually always frowning, so I don't see how it's out of the ordinary," Shadow huffed, rolling his eyes. They both sat across from each other on her bedroom floor, Amy having begged and pleaded with him to paint her nails until he finally caved in, if only to shut her up. He held her right hand in his, painting her nails a pretty green.

"Not when Sally's around you don't," she countered, looking too damn smug for his liking. He was tempted to ruin her nail polish for such a smartass comment, but he didn't. Amy was too damn handy with a hammer, and he didn't want to be pounded into a pancake. Instead, he gave her a heated glare that did nothing but make her giggle. He was either losing his touch, or she was simply used to his antics. He prayed it was the former.

"Are you excited to see her again?" Amy continued, offering him her left hand for him to paint her nails. Shadow offered no other explanation beyond a mere grunt, but Amy knew that he was excited to see her, even if he was too stubborn to show it. "I know I'll be happy to see Sally again! It feels like it's been forever since I saw her, and Sonic's coming back too!" At this, her tone was a mixture of cheerfulness and love, her head filled with thoughts of the blue hero.

She was much better than how she was when she was younger, and she couldn't help but grimace every time she remembered how she behaved. She was overwhelming, temperamental, and quick to anger. In other words, she was a brat when she was younger, and she wished she could take back some of the things she said and did, especially in regards to Sonic. She really couldn't blame him for running away from her all those times because she knew if Sonic treated her like she treated him, she wouldn't want to be around him too much either.

She acted like they were dating when they weren't, getting jealous whenever he so much as interacted with another girl, even if that girl was a mutual friend of theirs, like Rouge and Sally. Oddly enough, it was Shadow who called her out on her problematic behavior, and she could never thank him enough for opening her eyes to the truth she'd tried so hard to deny. He didn't mince any words when he told her about herself, and though it stung, she knew she needed to hear it.

After that, she apologized to Sonic, and he accepted it easily, saying he understood and that they'd always be friends, if nothing else. And even though she wanted to be something more with him, and she still did, if she was being honest, she valued their friendship and tried to be as good of a friend to him as she could. Because Sonic was, above all else, one of her best friends, and she wasn't going to let her lingering feelings ruin such a beautiful friendship.

"You're thinking about him again." Shadow's voice gently brought her back to the present. He was staring at her, having already finished painting her nails, patiently waiting for her to reply. She sighed, averting her gaze so that she could stare at her nails.

"That's nothing new. When am I not thinking about Sonic?" she joked, smiling softly. "Do you know what time they'll be back? I know you've been texting _Sally_." She barely managed to dodge the pillow Shadow hurled at her, playfully poking her tongue out at him.

"I didn't know texting my _friend_ was such a crime, _Rose_ ," he spat, but there was no heat behind his words. If anything, he sounded annoyed with her, but she could care less. Teasing him was so hilarious, and she could understand why Sonic and Rouge did it so much. "And she said they'd be back by 10:30 in the morning, so we'll have to leave early if we want to catch them."

Amy smiled, standing up. She stretched her limbs, sighing in relief. Shadow remained where he was, crimson eyes focused on his phone, and she didn't have to ask who was talking to. Honestly, Shadow could be as transparent as her when it came to matters of the heart. Or, perhaps she had such a penchant for romance that she could tell when someone was crushing on someone. She left him to his own devices, quietly making her way to her kitchen to get them some snacks to eat.

Shadow glanced up when he heard her door click shut, and he breathed an audible sigh of relief. Waiting a few seconds to make sure she wasn't going to come back, he quickly dialed a familiar set of numbers, never once taking his gaze off of Amy's bedroom door.

" _Shadow! Hey!_ " At the sound of Sally's exuberant voice, Shadow felt his heartbeat quicken, a steady series of _thump-thump, thump-thump_.

"Hey, princess. How are things on your end going?" He kept his voice as casual as possible, though on the inside he was a jumbled mess of nerves, which made absolutely no sense to him. He was Shadow the freaking Hedgehog; why the hell was he getting worked up over a simple phone call of all things?

" _Good! It's been so long since I've been home, and I missed my family. Mom and Dad are doing well, and Elias is fine too. He and Megan are expecting another baby, so Alexis is going to be a big sister! I'm so happy for them! As far as the affairs of my kingdom are concerned, things are looking really good. Everything seems to be in order, and, as I mentioned before, Sonic and I will be back first thing tomorrow morning,_ " Sally explained.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad your family's doing well, and it's good that your kingdom and people are in high spirits as well. Do your parents still expect you to take the throne?" She was silent for a moment, and Shadow could practically hear the gears shifting inside her head as she thought.

" _Eventually, but they're not pressuring me or anything. Besides, Elias is doing a marvelous job holding things down until the time for me to take the throne comes. I actually don't mind it, becoming queen. I just want to still have a life outside of that, y'know? I still want to be myself,_ " she answered, her tone wistful.

"You'd make an incredible leader. Hell, you're already a fantastic leader. You'll be an amazing queen, so don't worry so much about it, okay?" He didn't have to see her to already know she was smiling, head bowed bashfully, her cheeks glowing with a rosy blush. Her eyes were shimmering with warmth, like sapphires underneath the sunlight.

" _Thank you so much for that, Shadow. You always seem to know what to say to make me feel better. I don't know what I'd do without you, and I hope I never find out._ " Her voice rang with sincerity, and he felt his own cheeks heat up from her passionate declaration. Moments like these made him wonder if she knew the affect she had on him.

"Anything for you, princess. Even though I'd love to continue this conversation, it's getting late, and you need your rest. I'll talk to you soon enough, and I look forward to seeing you again."

" _I'm eager to see you again too, Shadow. Goodnight!"_ And after he said he said his goodbyes, he hung up. He could still hear her sweet, melodious voice ringing inside his head.

"Aww, you two are so freaking adorable!" Shadow flinched, his eyes meeting the amused gaze of one Amy Rose, who was leaning against her doorway. She had an armful of snacks, and he wanted to wipe that smug, knowing grin off of her face. He felt like he was burning, he was face was so hot.

"Not one word or I'll Chaos Control my ass up out of here," he growled, eyes narrowed dangerously. Still in a fit of giggles, she nodded her head, tossing him a big bag of Cheetos and a Coke before closing her door and plopping down on her bed. She looked at him, gently patting the empty space beside her, and Shadow rolled his eyes before kicking off his shoes and climbing on the bed to sit beside her.

Her laughter finally subsiding, Amy made herself comfortable, legs crossed, her head cushioned comfortably by her brightly colored pillows. She picked up her remote and turned on the T.V., flicking through different channels in hopes of finding something good to watch. After several moments, she finally found something to watch.

"We're going to watch _Pretty Woman_?" He gave her a look, eyebrow raised, frowning curiously. Amy scoffed at him, affronted by his question.

"Hey! _Pretty Woman_ is a cinematic masterpiece, and I will not have you slandering its awesomeness!"

"Whatever you say, Amy." And he went back to eating his chips, his eyes glued on the T.V. screen in front of him. He was aware of the movie. Rouge seemed to love it, and it didn't surprise him that Amy did too. After all, Amy was as hopeless a romantic as they came, so a movie like this was right up her alley. He could count on his hands the number of times he watched it; whenever he and Rouge hung out it and it was on, she'd make him sit and watch it her.

Silence fell between them once more, and the room was lit from the light of the T.V., casting shadows along the walls. The movie had already begun, and Shadow made himself comfortable, now taking sips of his Coke.

"Do you think Sonic will ever fall in love with me, Shadow?" Well, that seemed to come out of nowhere, although he was certain that such a thought plagued Amy every now and again no matter how hard she tried to tune it out. He was quiet for several moments, carefully thinking about how he should broach such a delicate topic.

"You cannot force someone to fall in love with you, which is why your previous attempts of wooing Sonic failed miserably. Sonic is and always will be a free spirit. That's not to say he's opposed to settling down, if it's with the right person, it simply means that Sonic deeply values his freedom. So long as the relationship isn't restricting him in a way he deems unfair, then I don't see why he wouldn't stop and smell the roses, so to speak."

"Sonic clearly cares about you, Amy. Never doubt that. He's dated around, here and there, but it was never anything serious. And that's not saying he can't commit. It just depends on how serious he feels it is. So, yes, I feel like Sonic's feelings for you could change, but don't force it. Let him do it on his own terms, in his own way, and everything else will fall into place," Shadow advised her, his tone and expression completely serious.

Amy nodded her head, looking hopeful and determined all at once, flashing him a thankful smiling before turning her attention back to the movie.

"Thanks, Shadow. You're right. I can't give up. I just have to have faith, and keep giving Sonic reasons to run towards me instead of away from me. I still cringe whenever I think about how I acted when I was younger. No wonder he kept running away from me. I'd do the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot," Amy laughed, though tinges of bitterness stained her voice.

"Your behavior made him very uncomfortable because you didn't respect his boundaries. You let jealousy cloud your judgment and your anger get the best of you. You being in love with Sonic was never the issue. How you went about expressing it was problematic. But, if you know better, do better. Stop berating yourself over your past actions. Who you were then differs from who you are now. Take pride in that."

And just like that, Amy found herself smiling all over again, the negative thoughts and feelings fleeing far away. This was why she liked being around Shadow. He was blunt and didn't mince his words, and while they sometimes stun, he came from a place of honest concern and meant well. He was being honest with her, and she appreciated it.

"Thank you. You'll find a way to steal Sally's heart too, although I'm pretty sure you've already stolen it." He threw his empty soda can at her, causing her to erupt into another fit of giggles.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Shadow found himself waking up to the sound of Amy's singing, and he couldn't help but grimace; her voice wasn't terrible, but it was too early in the morning for him to be dealing with this kind of shit. He could easily smell the heady aroma of food lingering in the air; Amy must be in the kitchen preparing a delicious breakfast for the two of them. He supposed he could tolerate her weird singing if it meant he'd get a good meal out of it.

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he slowly sat up, blinding reaching for his phone until it was in his grasp. Stifling a yawn, Shadow unlocked it and checked the time. It was 9:30 in the morning, which meant he had an hour to get ready, to get something to eat, and get to the airport in the time. It'd be a piece of cake for him; he had one of the Chaos Emeralds with him, and he'd simply Chaos Control both him and Amy to the airport in mere seconds.

With that thought in mind, he then proceeded to check and see if he had any missed phone calls or text messages. He saw that Sally had indeed sent him a text, and he found himself smiling before he could stop himself.

It read _"Good morning, Shadow! I just wanted to check on you and make sure you're okay. Sonic's dying to come back home, and so am I. We can't wait to see you guys!"_ Shadow felt his heartbeat racing in excitement, and he wished it would stop doing that. If it continued doing that every time Sally crossed his mind, he'd end up in the hospital because of heart problems.

With a shake of his head, Shadow quickly responded to her message, tossing his phone on the bed before getting up. His gaze softened as his mind raced with thoughts of Sally, despite his best efforts not to think about her so much. He wouldn't deny that he was eager to see her in person again as well, was itching to hold her in his arms and never let her go _and where the hell is this junk coming from?!_

"Amy's romantic behavior must be rubbing off on me or something," he said, voice laced with equal amounts of embarrassment and disgust. Heaving a heavy sigh, Shadow grabbed his belongings and headed to the bathroom to get ready. He just hoped he wouldn't burst into song or recite poetry when he saw Sally. He didn't know what he'd do if did something so ludicrous.

"I can't wait to see Sonic again! It feels like it's been forever," Amy mused to herself, a smile as wide as the sea gracing her face. Her heart was beating something fierce within the confinement of her chest, and she felt as if she was walking on sunshine because she was so happy.

Her quills were pulled up into a neat bun, and she wore minimal makeup. Her attire was casual but cute: a deep blue tank top, light gray skinny jeans that hugged her developed curves in all the right places, and black Converses. She looked good, and she felt pretty damn good too. Why shouldn't she be? She was going to see Sonic again!

She vividly recalled how they ended up staying up texting each other well into the wee hours of the morning, talking about everything in between and beyond. Their conversation felt sincere, no remnants of awkwardness and discomfort staining the easygoing feeling shared between them. She felt so close to him, like they were connected on a deeper level, one they were never on in the past.

He was one her best friends, and she took comfort in his words. He was forthcoming with how much he missed her company and he was anxious to hang out with her and everyone else once more. Her cheeks were rosy with a blush that simply refused to go away, and she couldn't help the smile that stayed on her face. What could she say? Sonic always had such an effect on her.

Amy softly shook her head, trying to dispel such distracting thoughts. She refocused her attention on finishing up their breakfast, the delicious smells making her stomach growl quietly. She had been awake since nine, and she allowed Shadow to sleep in longer, unwilling to disturb his slumber just yet. She heard the water running, though, so she knew he was already awake and getting ready.

"And I'm finished!" she exclaimed, smiling at her handiwork. She didn't go all out like she wanted to, conscious of the fact that they had somewhere to be. However, she made sure they had something good to eat. She quickly fixed them both a plate of food consisting of fluffy waffles bathed in sticky-sweet syrup, crispy strips of bacon cooked to perfection, and scrambled eggs that made her mouth water from simply looking at them.

Easily carrying the plates in her hands, she placed them on the table. She went back in the kitchen to grab them some silverware and two cups of tasty orange juice.

"That looks good." Amy nearly jumped out of her fur, and she glared at Shadow over her shoulder as said hedgehog laughed at her.

"I ought to let you starve for startling me as well as laughing at me, mister," she threatened, though she and Shadow knew how empty a threat it was. Shadow disregarded it, wasting no time in eating his food. He was famished, and her cooking was nothing short of amazing. Amy laughed quietly at him before eating her own meal. A comfortable silence fell between them, and Amy took comfort in it. She always enjoyed Shadow's company, even though he worked her nerves from time to time. She knew he got on his nerves just as much, and they would bicker like siblings at times. That was understandable as she thought of him as an older, sometimes grumpy brother, while she was that sometimes annoying little sister to him.

"Are you ready?" Shadow asked, already standing up to go and put away his used dishes in the sink. She followed his league and did the same, making a mental note to tidy up her kitchen later.

"Almost. Let me grab my purse and jacket, and I'll be ready to go," Amy promised, already headed back to her room to grab aforementioned items. She saw her purse sitting on the edge of her bed while her jacket was strewn across her desk. She grabbed both items, slipping into her jacket as she checked to make sure she had her keys, wallet, and cellphone.

Nodding in satisfaction, she quickly made her way back to the living room where Shadow was patiently waiting for her. He was texting away on his phone, and she didn't have to ask him who he was texting to know what it was. She wondered if he knew the look his face made whenever he was thinking about Sally.

She had no room to pick on him too much, though. She was well-aware that she almost always had this dreamy look on her face whenever she was thinking of Sonic.

"Just kiss her already!" Amy freaking _cackled_ at the outraged, flustered look on his face, easily dodging the punch he hurled at her. She was still laughing even as he Chaos Controlled them to their destination. She knew she shouldn't tease him so, but old habits die hard.

Amy gripped Shadow's arm tightly as she fought against wave of disorientation that crashed over her. She would never understand how Shadow could stomach traveling like this as often as he did, but he was clearly more used to such means of travel than she herself was.

"You're not going to vomit, are you?" Shadow asked, though there was no trace of concern in his voice. Instead, he sounded highly amused at her visible discomfort, and Amy resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

" _No_ , I'm not," she snapped, jade eyes narrowing in annoyance as Shadow continued smirking at her. This must have been payback for her previous comment, as he clearly relished in her suffering, but she refused to take back what she said. It was funny as hell, and his reaction was _priceless_. She just wished she had thought to take a picture to capture such a priceless moment.

He wisely said nothing else, but he still kept that smug look on his face as they began to make their way towards their friends. It looked like the whole gang was there: Tails, Knuckles, Espio, Silver, Cream, Rouge, Blaze, Miss Vanilla, Charmy, and Vector, all of them just as anxious as he and Amy were to see Sally and Sonic again.

They were each greeted warmly by everyone, Amy low-key crushing them in that death hug of hers while Shadow shook hands and offered small smiles.

"What time is it?" Amy asked, her voice a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Tails glanced at his watch and quickly checked the time.

"It's 10:30, so they should be arriving any second now," he answered, giving the pink hedgehog's shoulder a comforting squeeze. He knew how much she missed Sonic, and he knew his big brother missed her just as much.

"I know you're both itching to see Big Blue and Blue Eyes again, huh?" Rouge teased, her smirk widening as both Shadow and Amy blushed. Shadow glared at her, desperately trying to make his blush to go away and his heart to stop racing while Amy stuttered out excuses and denials.

"Stop antagonizing them, Rouge. It's too early in the morning for such things," Blaze calmly intervened, gold eyes regarding the scene in exasperated amusement, though she made sure not to express it. Rouge stuck her tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes in response.

"Hey, look! There they are!" Silver exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. All of them looked where he was pointing, and they watched as a sleek jet slowly, neatly landed, the wheels screeching softly.

Soon, the door was opening, and Sonic and Sally both came into view. Both of them were dressed nicely; Sally wore a beautiful white gown, her auburn hair a flaming halo as it shone in the sunlight. She looked like an angel, and Shadow was blown away with how gorgeous she looked.

Sonic wore a tuxedo that highlighted his muscular, lean frame. His quills were slicked back stylishly, and he was grinning widely, his emerald eyes twinkling with mirth. He looked so devastatingly handsome, and Amy felt like her poor heart was going to give out on her.

They made such a gorgeous pair, and if one didn't know better, they would've sworn they were a couple. They certainly were close; Sonic's arm was wrapped firmly around Sally's waist as he helped her down the steps. Sally was pressed snugly against Sonic's side, her hand held in his as they talked about whatever it was they were talking about. It was enough to make Amy and Shadow green with envy, much to their friends' amusement.

"What's the matter, Shadow? Jealous?" Shadow growled lowly, eyes narrowed in disbelief.

"Me? Jealous of _Sonic_? I think not," he vehemently denied. And he wasn't. He and Sonic were close friends nowadays, and he knew Sonic and Sally weren't like _that_. Seeing them both cozied up together had his lips curled in a disgusted sneer, and he hated himself for it.

"Sally and Sonic are just good _friends_ ," Amy chimed in, stressing out the word "friends". Her voice was cheerful enough, but her eyes were filled with resentment, and she hated it. Sally and Sonic went way back; they've known each other forever, and like Shadow, she knew they weren't anything romantic.

But still. Even she couldn't deny how good they looked together, the hero and the princess, and she pushed away those negative thoughts that wanted to make themselves known.

"SHADOW!" Shadow jerked out of his detrimental thoughts and looked up. Sally was running right towards him, her heels clicking and clacking against the pavement. Before he knew it, he had an armful of Sally in his arms, her arms wrapped tightly around him as she hugged him. Her face was buried in his neck, and he could feel her warm breath tickling his fur.

He was hugging back before he knew it, his chin resting on top of her head, his hands resting on her back. It felt so good to have her in his embrace, and her presence, her sincere enthusiasm, chased away whatever ugly thoughts that had filled his head.

"SONIC!" Amy squealed, and she was racing towards Sonic before anyone could blink. He caught her easily in his arms, swinging her around in the air, their laughter filling the air. They embraced each other warmly, Amy gladly letting his presence envelope her. They stared into each other's eyes, both smiling widely at the other. He missed seeing her, being around her, and having her in his arms made him feel at ease.

"Get a room, lovebirds! OUCH, BLAZE!" That was enough to make each pair jerk away from each other, all four of them blushing something fierce. Sonic and Amy were looking everywhere but at each other, both sporting a goofy smile on their faces. Shadow and Sally put some distance between themselves, shyly staring each other before quickly averting their gaze when they felt like the other noticed.

Knuckles shook his head while Espio laughed quietly. Those four were ridiculous.

"Do you two need help with your luggage?" Knuckles asked, trying to change the subject. Sonic and Sally each flashed him a grateful smile, both obviously thankful for the diversion.

"Yeah, they're by the jet plane. C'mon, Sal!" And then he was carrying Sally in his arms as he ran back to their luggage, Knuckles, Vector, Espio, and Silver right behind them. Once they were out of ear shot, Charmy burst out laughing. Amy huffed in annoyance, her cheeks still burning.

"And just what is so funny?"

"You two are! I mean, can ya'll be any more obvious? You might as well tattoo I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU! right across your foreheads!" He easily dodged the Chaos Spear Shadow hurled his way with a flap of his wings, never once losing the amused grin on his face.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I see nothing wrong with being elated to see my friend again," Shadow said, his tone defensive. He shouldn't even have to defend his actions, and yet here he was, defending them. And for what?

"I agree. We haven't seen them in months. How'd you expect us to react?" Amy demanded, her chin jutted out stubbornly.

"You didn't react like that when you saw Sally, Amy. Neither did you when you saw Sonic, Shadow," Tails pointed out, unable to wipe the grin off of his face. He didn't mean to tease them, but this whole thing was hilarious to witness. The knight was trying to woo the princess, and the rose was trying to get the wind to blow her way.

Cream, Blaze, and Charmy watched on in amused silence. Why Shadow and Amy continued to deny the obvious, they'd never know. It was as clear as day that they were both crushing on Sally and Sonic like no tomorrow. The only people who were oblivious to this were Sonic and Sally themselves.

"Hey, you guys! Knuckles and them are gonna help us drop our stuff off. Then we're going to change and meet you guys at Tails' workshop. Then we can all hang out, just like old times!" Sonic explained. Waving everyone goodbye, the blue blur sped off, the princess securely in his arms, leaving behind a trail of dust.

Knuckles and the others were right behind them, and only Amy, Shadow, Cream, Blaze, Tails, Rouge, and Charmy remained behind.

"Well, you heard him. Let's all head to my workshop and wait for everyone to come back," Tails said. His twin tails spinning rapidly, he took to the skies, Cream and Charmy flying after him.

"See you later, Ultimate Lifeform and Pinky. Your crushes will return shortly," Rouge joked. Blaze merely sighed, letting Rouge grab her by her arms and fly them to their destination. Now, only Shadow and Amy were left, and they stayed where they were for a few moments longer, eager to talk to each other without their friends overhearing their conversation.

"Well! That went better than expected, don't you think?" Amy asked, always the one to try and be optimistic and see the brighter side to every situation. Shadow scoffed, shaking his head, a frown etched on his face as he glared at the ground.

"If what just happened was better than expected, I dread to think about a scenario worse than the one we just endured. I don't know what came over me. I usually have better control of my actions, and yet I behaved so recklessly, and in front of Sally, too," Shadow groaned, burying his face in his hands.

He really didn't know what came over him. Seeing Sally running towards him overwhelmed him with _something_ , and he reacted before he could stop himself or think twice about it. He already knew Amy had no problems though. She tended to go with the flow of her emotions anyway, so he completely expected her to react to Sonic the way she did.

Him though? That wasn't in his nature, or it used to not be until he met Sally. She made him want to wear his heart on his sleeve, to act first and think later, and he was unsure as to how he should feel about it.

"From where I was standing, Sally definitely appreciated the way you reacted. In fact, I'm pretty positive she _loved_ the way you behaved. I was surprised you did all that though. I mean, you two were embracing like long lost lovers, or something," Amy laughed, laughing harder at the look on his face.

"You're one to talk, Rose. You and Sonic were all over each other, embracing each other tenderly, and gazing loving into each other's eyes. It was sickening, and I am appalled to have witnessed such a disgustingly sweet display of affection," Shadow countered, smirking as Amy blushed furiously.

" _Shut up_! Like I was saying, it could have been worse, so let's be thankful and count our blessings. Maybe if we keep this up, they'll finally realize we like them!"

"Well, actions speak louder than words, or so the saying goes. So, we just have to show them how much we like them, and then we'll go from there."

"Exactly! Patience is a virtue, and perseverance will certainly pay off for us in the end! Let's go to Tails' workshop and come up with a plan of what to do next. We'll text it to each other to keep everyone else from knowing."

Shadow nodded his head; it made sense. After what just happened, he knew their friends wouldn't hesitate to tease them or offer them unwarranted advice. Two heads were better than one, and he was positive he and Amy could come up with some kind of plan of action without their help. Gripping her hand, he grabbed the Chaos Emerald with his other hand and teleported them to their destination.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Amy fought the urge to vomit, stumbling slightly as her feet hit the ground. Shadow kept a steady grip on her though, ensuring that she wouldn't topple over. Once she had gathered her bearings, she slipped out of his grip, flashing him a thankful smile. Straightening out her quills, she refused to look like a slob in front of Sonic, she focused her attention back on their present predicament.

She and Shadow stood a few feet away from Tails' workshop, and she could just barely hear the sounds of her friends' various conversations. They were preoccupied, which gave her and Shadow some much needed time to regroup and formulate some kind of plan of attack.

"So! Any ideas on what we should do? I'm all ears," Amy said, peering up at her silent companion. Shadow heaved out an annoyed grunt, but did as she asked nonetheless, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he tried to think of something.

"Perhaps we could go somewhere with them? After they play catch with everyone, you and I can offer to treat them to a meal. They must be hungry from all of that traveling, right? That should give us some time to "sweep them off their feet" as you so eloquently put it, _and_ it'll give us some desperately needed privacy. I'd hate to have to wring someone's neck, after all," Shadow smirked, and Amy let loose a nervous giggle at the look on his face.

It was moments like these were she wasn't sure if he was joking or not. She could only hope with him that it was all fun and games.

"That's a great idea, Shadow! There's this cool diner not far from here that we can go to. They serve some really delicious chilidogs, so I know Sonic will love it. You know how he is when it comes to chilidogs," Amy snorted, hiding her laugh behind her hand, and Shadow rolled his eyes.

"Believe me, I know. I once had the misfortune of witnessing him scarfing down twenty of those things back to back, and he had the audacity to ask for more." Shadow visibly shuddered, and Amy laughed at the look of disgust on his face. "His love for those things truly knows no boundaries."

"And Sally loves milkshakes, so I know she'll be on board with the idea two. That's another thing you both have in common, by the way." One of these days, she would stop teasing him, but until that day came, she was going to keep at it. Besides, it was so fun! Whenever Sally was mentioned, it didn't take much to have the elusive hedgehog flustered, the faintest of blushes dusting his cheeks as he averted his gaze, which he was doing now, suddenly finding interest with the clumps of dirt on the ground.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rose. If having a sweet tooth suddenly makes us soulmates, than I have a lot of soulmates." He deftly dodged the punch she hurled his way, delighting in her obvious frustration with him. Eyes narrowed, she glared at him, her lips tugged down into an annoyed frown.

"You know what I mean! You and Sally are so cute together! It's like you guys have this deep, meaningful connection. You both bring out the best in each other, and anyone with eyes can tell how head-over-heels in love with her you are. And I don't doubt that she feels the same way. You just gotta show her how you feel, is all."

They slowly made their way closer to the workshop, each in no particular hurry. They could make out the sounds of Sonic and Sally's voices, and their hearts fluttered in response. It was almost maddening how much they both liked them. It was pretty hard not to like them, actually. They each had the kind of persona that drew people close, that made you want to hang with them and laugh and smile until it hurt.

While Amy relished in that sweet feeling of love, welcomed it with arms wide open, Shadow was more hesitant. Sure, he knew he was desirable, and he didn't mean that in a vain way. He was all too aware of the fangirls he had, of the attention he would draw whenever he went somewhere. However, it was Sally that brought out such feelings in him; she made him want to understand what all the hype about love and stuff was about.

He couldn't fathom how Amy dealt with such strong emotions, but he supposed she had more experience in this particular field than he did. Six years was a long time to crush on someone, let alone love them. If anyone understood love in all its glory, it was her. And if anyone could have Sonic wanting to fall in love, it would be her.

He knew she didn't want to get her hopes crushed, but Shadow wasn't lying when he told her how in love they looked. Sonic looked at her with obvious adoration, like she was the only person he had eyes for. And the way they held each other? That was so lovey-dovey and sweet that Shadow felt like he had a mouth full of cavities just from witnessing such a display.

That was one of the reasons why their friendship was so awesome. They each noticed things the other might not have noticed, and that was a very helpful thing to have when your best friend was crushing on someone. They could see what you couldn't see, and both of them were thankful for it.

They were finally standing in front of the workshop's front door, their bodies thrumming with barely contained energy. Amy was damn near bouncing on her feet, she was so excited, while Shadow was more reserved with his. His fingers were twitching ever so slightly, and his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest.

"You think this little plan of ours will work?" Crimson and jade eyes gazed at each other, one filled with hope, the other filled with doubt.

"Of course it will! You just have to have faith, is all!"


	4. 4

4

Sonic smiled, stretching his legs, his muscles sighing in relief. All that traveling really did a number on him, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He was Sonic The Hedgehog! He lived and breathed for the thrill of adventure, but he had to admit, it felt good being back home again. Glancing at Sally out of the corner of his eye, a smile on her face as she chatted with Blaze and Rouge, he knew Sally shared the same sentiment.

They hadn't tried to be gone for so long. It was supposed to be no longer than a few weeks; but then problems started arising, and few weeks bled into a few months. Sally definitely had her hands full with everything. Since it was her kingdom, she had to handle affairs and set up meetings and all of this other stuff as it was her duty to her people, so she said. She made it look so easy, handling that heavy burden, but then again, he's been told the same thing countless times when it came to him and his heroics and saving the day constantly.

"Sonic! Aren't you listening?" Tails asked, nudging his brother gently.

"He's probably thinking about _Amy_ ," Knuckles teased, and Silver muffled his laugh behind his hand. Sonic bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue involving a certain treasure huntress. No need to get ol' Knuckie worked up; sometimes, you gotta learn to choose which battles you wanna fight, and this was one particular battle he did not feel like fighting. Right now, anways.

"Sorry, bud. I was daydreaming again. What were you sayin'?"

Being amongst her friends did her heart good. Sally enjoyed being home at her kingdom with her parents and brother. It was so fun seeing her whole family again, all her aunts and uncles, her niece, her cousins, her friends from back home. But she loved being here just as much, where she wasn't so heavily defined by the crown resting on her head.

And, she could admit to herself, she _did_ miss a certain G.U.N. agent as well. He called and texted her throughout the entire trip, and their shared conversations were fun, serious, and everything in between. She wasn't afraid to confide in him and share her thoughts and fears and doubts with him. She could be herself unabashedly with him, and she really, truly appreciated that. He was also honest and blunt, but kind with his words, offering his wisdom and opinions on whatever topic they talked about and asked her for hers.

She valued their friendship and closeness; she admired him and thought highly of him, aware of his flaws as well as his perfections. She honestly couldn't wait to see him again, him and Amy both.

"What are you thinking about, Sally?" Cream asked, curiosity lacing her voice. Before Sally had the chance to answer her, Rouge butted in true, typical Rouge fashion.

"It's not _what_ she's thinking about, Cream, dear. It's _who_ she's thinking about, and I already know the answer to _that_ question," Rouge said, smirking at the suddenly flustered princess, who was deftly averting her gaze from her. Blaze laughed softly, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Lay off, Rouge. So what if she's thinking about Shadow? Can you really blame her?" Blaze, ever the sensible one, reasoned. Sally sighed, leaning against the back of her chair, her heart fluttering like butterfly wings in her chest. This was utterly ridiculous. Why was her nonexistent love life suddenly in the spotlight?

"Oh, I'm not blaming her. My best friend is quite the catch. There are lots of women who'd agree with that." She noticed how Sally frowned when she said that, her previously bright blue eyes narrowing dangerously. She had to bite back her laughter.

"Yeah, Shadow is really nice! It's okay if you like him, Sally! He likes you too!" And wow, Sally wished the ground would open and swallow her up. "Hey, there he is now with Amy!" At that, Sally sat upright, her almost frantic gaze searching for him, and there he was in all his glory, those crimson eyes staring right into her heart. She was up on her feet before she knew it, throwing herself in his arms because she knew he'd catch her, which he did.

"Shadow! I missed you so much!" Shadow rolled his eyes, but that smile was still stubbornly on his handsome face, and she knew he was just as happy to see her as she was to see him. She wrapped her arms around him, her cheek brushing against the side of his neck as he carried her like she was his bride, and _wow, she really needed to stop thinking about those things_.

"You just saw me two seconds ago. But," Shadow continued, his gaze soft as he stared down at her, "I missed you too, princess, more than you'll ever know." If she wasn't swooning before, she definitely was now.

Amy took her place beside Sonic, leaning against him heavily as they both watched their friends. They were so into each other, it was ridiculous. She told Shadow his feelings weren't one-sided. He'd learn to better listen to her one day, though.

"Sally's over the moon, huh?" Sonic laughed, his arm wrapped around her, and she was nestled comfortably in his embrace. "She was literally on the phone with him every chance she got, and they talked for _hours_ , okay?" Amy smiled, unable to keep herself from laughing in relief.

"I know. Anytime she called him or he called her, Shadow would stop whatever he was doing, go into a different room, and not come out until the conversation was done unless he needed to eat or he absolutely had to. It was the cutest thing ever, I swear," Amy answer, rolling her eyes fondly.

"I can't blame her though. I missed you like crazy too. I was just more subtle with it, is all." And suddenly, it was like Amy couldn't breathe, her breath was stolen right from under her. Her heart was beating like thunder, lightning bleeding into her lungs as the perfect storm raged on within her. She knew she was blushing, and _dammit, she thought she was pass this phase of her life._

"I mean, how could I not miss one of my closet friends, someone who's always been by my side looking out for me? I don't know what I'd do without ya, Ames, and I pray to Chaos I never find out. You're one of a kind in a class of your own," Sonic continued, beaming down at her with that wonderful, beautiful grin of his, completely unaware of the effect his sweet, thoughtful words were having on her.

It took everything in Amy not to leap up and kiss him senseless like every nerve in her body practically begged her to do. He was irresistible, and she was immune to his charms and his smiles and his laughs. Sonic was a magnetic, and Amy would always be drawn to him, one way or another. And who could blame her? Her heart was firmly stuck on him, and it looked like that wasn't going to change anytime soon, if it all. And she didn't want it to, not really. She apologize for how she expressed her affections to him because she was crossing boundaries she wasn't aware of and made him uncomfortable, which was never her intent. She unintentionally chased him away and risked losing him forever, and she didn't want that at all. However, she would never apologize for loving him, and she would not allow herself to feel bad for loving him.

Love was a beautiful emotion that shouldn't be tainted with ugliness and negativity. She's always followed her heart, letting it guide her along the way. It had yet to lead her astray, so why stop now? So, mustering up all the bravery she possessed, she took a breath, steeled her nerves, and followed her heart.

"You sure know how to make a girl feel special, Sonic. Hey, if you want, there's this real nice dinner nearby that serves real good food, chili dogs included. I was wondering if you and Sally wanted to come with me and Shadow and get something to eat and hang out?" Her voice was steady and confident, which was the total opposite of how she felt on the inside. Her heart was lodged firmly in her throat, and her palms felt clammy and sweaty with nerves.

"That sounds awesome, Ames! Count us in! Let's go!" And before she could blink, she was swept up into his arms, literally!, as he told everyone he was leaving and what their plans were. And she was quick to ignore everyone's, save for Shadow and Sally, knowing gazes, allowing Sonic to speed off to their destination with her nestled safely in the crook of his arms, Shadow and Sally right behind them.


End file.
